Methods of coating fastener assemblies

ABSTRACT

A method of coating a fastener assembly that extends from a substrate comprises steps of at least partially saturating a permeable body with a volume of a liquid and covering the fastener assembly with the permeable body. The step of covering the fastener assembly with the permeable body comprises at least partially compressing the permeable body against the fastener assembly and transferring a portion of the volume of the liquid from the permeable body to an exposed outer surface of the fastener assembly and to a ring on the substrate, surrounding the fastener assembly.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a divisional of and claims priority to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 16/418,674, filed on May 21, 2019, and thecomplete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to coating fasteners, such as withprimer, paint, or other liquid.

BACKGROUND

Various fasteners are used throughout manufacturing industries,including in the manufacture of aerospace vehicles, land vehicles,marine vehicles, space vehicles, machinery, etc. In some applications,installed fasteners may require coating with a primer before the overallassembly is painted. In some applications, specifications require fullcoverage of the exposed fastener with primer and application of theprimer within a precise ring around the fastener on the substrate fromwhich the fastener extends. Conventionally, primer is applied manuallyto fasteners by utilizing foam or bristle brushes. However, manualtechniques often result in application of too much or too little primer,resulting in time-consuming (and thus costly) rework.

SUMMARY

Fastener-coating tools, kits thereof, and related methods are disclosed.

Disclosed herein are fastener-coating tools that comprise anon-permeable body and a permeable body. The non-permeable bodycomprises a non-permeable wall, having a closed shape. The non-permeablewall comprises an inner surface, an outer surface, and a terminalsurface. The inner surface defines an internal cavity in thenon-permeable body. The outer surface faces away from the internalcavity of the non-permeable body. The terminal surface has a closedshape and interconnects the inner surface and the outer surface of thenon-permeable wall. The permeable body laps over at least a portion ofthe outer surface of the non-permeable wall, laps over all of theterminal surface of the non-permeable wall, laps over at least a portionof the inner surface of the non-permeable wall, spans the internalcavity of the non-permeable body, and defines a fastener cavity. Thefastener cavity extends at least partially within the internal cavity ofthe non-permeable body and is sized and shaped to receive a portion of afastener assembly to be coated. The fastener cavity has an open end,proximate to the terminal surface of the non-permeable wall, and aclosed end within the internal cavity of the non-permeable body andopposite the open end.

Also disclosed herein are kits that comprise two or morefastener-coating tools according to the present disclosure.

Additionally disclosed herein are methods of coating a fastener assemblythat extends from a substrate, comprising steps of at least partiallysaturating a permeable body with a volume of a liquid, and covering thefastener assembly with the permeable body. The step of covering thefastener assembly comprises steps of at least partially compressing thepermeable body against the fastener assembly, and transferring a portionof the volume of the liquid from the permeable body to an exposed outersurface of the fastener assembly and to a ring on the substrate,surrounding the fastener assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view an example fastener assembly extending froma substrate and coated with a liquid, as applied by a fastener-coatingtool according to the present disclosure or as a result of a methodaccording to the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional, side-view diagram representingexamples of fastener-coating tools according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional, side-view diagram representingexamples of fastener-coating tools according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional, side-view diagram representingadditional examples of fastener-coating tools according to the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional, side-view diagram representingadditional examples of fastener-coating tools according to the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional, side-view diagram representingadditional examples of fastener-coating tools according to the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional, side-view diagram representingadditional examples of fastener-coating tools according to the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram representing kits according to the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 9 depicts an example fastener-coating tool according to the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 10 is an end view of an example non-permeable body of an examplefastener-coating tool according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the non-permeable body of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the non-permeable body of FIG. 10,taken along line 12-12 in FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is an end view of an example non-permeable body of an examplefastener-coating tool according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a side view of the non-permeable body of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the non-permeable body of FIG. 13,taken along line 15-15 in FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is an end view of an example non-permeable body of an examplefastener-coating tool according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 17 is a side view of the non-permeable body of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the non-permeable body of FIG. 16,taken along line 18-18 in FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is an end view of an example non-permeable body of an examplefastener-coating tool according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 20 is a side view of the non-permeable body of FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the non-permeable body of FIG. 19,taken along line 21-21 in FIG. 20.

FIG. 22 is an end view of an example non-permeable body of an examplefastener-coating tool according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 23 is a side view of the non-permeable body of FIG. 22.

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the non-permeable body of FIG. 22,taken along line 24-24 in FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of an example fastener-coating toolaccording to the present disclosure.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of an example kit according to the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 27 is a flowchart schematically representing example methodsaccording to the present disclosure.

FIG. 28 is a block diagram of aircraft production and servicemethodology.

FIG. 29 is a schematic illustration of an aircraft.

DESCRIPTION

Fastener-coating tools, kits thereof, and related methods of coatingfastener assemblies are disclosed herein. In particular, with referenceto FIG. 1, fastener-coating tools and kits may be used and methods maybe implemented to coat outer surface 54 of fastener assembly 50 and ring56 around fastener assembly 50 on substrate 52, from which fastenerassembly 50 extends, with a primer, a paint, or other liquid. Examplesof fastener assemblies include those used in the aerospace, automotive,marine vehicle, and space vehicle manufacturing industries, such as (butnot limited to) lockbolt assemblies, bolt-and-nut assemblies, rivets,etc.

FIGS. 2-7 schematically illustrate various examples of fastener-coatingtools. Generally, in these figures, elements that are likely to beincluded in a given example are illustrated in solid lines, whileelements that may be optional to a given example are illustrated inbroken lines. However, elements that are illustrated in solid lines arenot essential to all examples of the present disclosure, and an elementshown in solid lines may be omitted from a particular example withoutdeparting from the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, elementsshown in broken lines may be important in some examples.

As schematically represented in FIGS. 2-7, fastener-coating tool 100comprises at least non-permeable body 102 and permeable body 112. By“non-permeable,” it is meant that the material, from which non-permeablebody 102 is constructed, generally does not permit liquid 122 to passtherethrough. In some examples, non-permeable body 102 also may bedescribed as a rigid body that supports permeable body 112. In one ormore examples, non-permeable body 102 is constructed of a plastic or ametal having sufficient rigidity to support permeable body 112 foroperative compression of permeable body 112 between non-permeable body102 and fastener assembly 50 and adjacent substrate 52. By “permeable,”it is meant that the material, from which permeable body 112 isconstructed, permits liquid 122 to pass therethrough. In particular,permeable body 112 is configured to absorb and wick liquid 122 forapplication to fastener assembly 50 and adjacent substrate 52. In someexamples, permeable body 112 also may be described as being resilient,or as being constructed of a resilient material, such that followingbeing compressed between non-permeable body 102 and fastener assembly 50and adjacent substrate 52, permeable body 112 returns, or relaxes, to adefault state. In some examples, all portions of permeable body 112 arefluidically permeable. In one or more examples, permeable body 112 isconstructed, or composed, of reticulated foam material 128, whichadditionally or alternatively may be described as an open-cell foammaterial, a specific example of which is a reticulated polyurethane foamhaving about 50-100 pores per inch (127-254 pores per centimeter).However, other configurations of material may be used to constructpermeable body 112, such as based on the material properties of liquid122 being applied by fastener-coating tool 100. By being constructed ofreticulated foam material 128, liquid 122 is able to wick, or otherwisemigrate, throughout permeable body 112 for application to fastenerassembly 50 and adjacent substrate 52, as discussed herein.

Non-permeable body 102 comprises non-permeable wall 104 that has aclosed shape and that comprises inner surface 108 that defines internalcavity 106 in non-permeable body 102, outer surface 110 that faces awayfrom internal cavity 106, and terminal surface 116, having a closedshape and that interconnects inner surface 108 and outer surface 110. Byhaving a “closed shape,” it is meant that non-permeable wall 104 andterminal surface 116 will fully encircle fastener assembly 50 when atleast partially received within internal cavity 106. That said,non-permeable wall 104 may comprise inlet 144 to internal cavity 106, asdiscussed herein, and still be considered to have a closed shape.

As schematically illustrated in FIGS. 2-7, permeable body 112 laps overat least a portion of outer surface 110 of non-permeable wall 104, lapsover an entirety of terminal surface 116 of non-permeable wall 104, lapsover at least a portion of inner surface 108 of non-permeable wall 104,and spans internal cavity 106 of non-permeable body 102. In addition,permeable body 112 defines fastener cavity 114 that extends at leastpartially within internal cavity 106 of non-permeable body 102, withfastener cavity 114 being sized and shaped to receive a portion of afastener assembly 50 to be coated with liquid 122. That is, fastenercavity 114 has open end 118, proximate to terminal surface 116 ofnon-permeable wall 104 for receiving fastener assembly 50 into fastenercavity 114, and closed end 119, within internal cavity 106 ofnon-permeable body 102 and opposite open end 118. Accordingly, whenfastener assembly 50 that extends from substrate 52 is received withinfastener cavity 114 via open end 118, the portion of permeable body 112that laps over terminal surface 116 of non-permeable wall 104 ofnon-permeable body 102 will engage substrate 52 for application of ring56 of liquid 122 thereto. In addition, the portion of permeable body 112that laps over inner surface 108 of non-permeable wall 104 ofnon-permeable body 102 will engage the lateral sides of fastenerassembly 50 for application of liquid 122 thereto, and the portion ofpermeable body 112 that spans internal cavity 106 of non-permeable body102 and that defines closed end 119 of fastener cavity 114 will engagethe terminal end of fastener assembly 50 for application of liquid 122thereto.

By being sized and shaped to receive a portion of a particular fastenerassembly, it is meant that fastener cavity 114, defined by permeablebody 112, is generally in the shape of the portion of a particularfastener assembly, extending from substrate 52. In one or more examples,prior to fastener assembly 50 being received within fastener cavity 114,the fastener cavity is slightly smaller than fastener assembly 50. As aresult, when fastener assembly 50 is received within fastener cavity114, permeable body 112 compresses and transfers liquid 122 frompermeable body 112 to fastener assembly 50. Moreover, non-permeable wall104 of non-permeable body 102 provides support for permeable body 112,such that permeable body 112 is compressed between non-permeable wall104 and fastener assembly 50 when fastener assembly 50 is receivedwithin fastener cavity 114. In addition, when fastener-coating tool 100is urged against substrate 52, permeable body 112 is compressed betweensubstrate 52 and terminal surface 116 of non-permeable wall 104 ofnon-permeable body 102, and liquid 122 will thereby transfer frompermeable body 112 to substrate 52 to create ring 56 of liquid 122around fastener assembly 50.

As schematically and optionally represented in FIGS. 2-7, somefastener-coating tools 100 further comprise liquid source 120 that isconfigured to deliver liquid 122 from liquid source 120 to internalcavity 106 of non-permeable body 102. In one or more such examples,liquid source 120 comprises reservoir 124 that is configured to hold avolume of liquid 122. Accordingly, a supply of liquid 122 is readilyavailable for application to one or more fastener assemblies 50. Asuitable volume may be selected based on specific applications. Forexample, in some applications, it may be desirable to have a largeenough volume to operatively coat several fastener assemblies, such asat a work station in a manufacturing environment. In some applications,it may be desirable to have a volume of liquid 122 that corresponds to asingle application of liquid 122 to a single fastener assembly, forexample, so that liquid 122 may be dispensed without a user offastener-coating tool 100 needing to control the volume of liquid 122that is dispensed. It also may be desirable to have a volume that issufficiently small so as to keep the overall weight of fastener-coatingtool 100 below a threshold, such as to avoid user fatigue during use offastener-coating tool 100. In some examples, reservoir 124 may beintegral, or otherwise rigidly coupled to, non-permeable body 102 offastener-coating tool 100, such that fastener-coating tool 100, as awhole, is handheld. In other examples, reservoir 124 may be remote fromnon-permeable body 102, such as with a tube, or hose, connectingreservoir 124 to internal cavity 106 of non-permeable body 102. In suchexamples, volume reservoir 124 of larger size may be provided, therebyincreasing the time required for replacing or refilling reservoir 124with a volume of liquid 122. Fastener-coating tools 100 may beconfigured for use with, and reservoirs 124 may be configured forholding, various types of liquid 122, depending on the application of aparticular fastener-coating tool. As noted, examples of liquid 122include primers and paints. In some examples, fastener-coating tools 100may be specifically configured and well-suited for liquids that have aviscosity of less than 100 centistokes.

With continued reference to FIGS. 2-7, in one or more examples, liquidsource 120 comprises user-input mechanism 126 that is configured toselectively dispense a predetermined volume of liquid 122 from liquidsource 120 to internal cavity 106 of non-permeable body 102. That is,user-input mechanism 126 is configured to receive input from a user,such as by direct engagement thereof, for selective dispensing of liquid122 to internal cavity 106. Accordingly, when a user operatively engagesuser-input mechanism 126, a known quantity of liquid 122 will bedispensed to internal cavity 106 and thus ultimately to permeable body112 for application to fastener assembly 50. Non-exclusive examples ofuser-input mechanisms 126 include (but are not limited to) buttons,triggers, levers, plungers, etc.

As schematically represented in solid lines in FIGS. 2-4, in someexamples, permeable body 112 consists of a single part. Such aconfiguration of permeable body 112 facilitates ease of assembly withnon-permeable body 102. However, as schematically and optionallyrepresented in dashed lines in FIGS. 2-4 and as schematicallyrepresented in solid lines in FIGS. 5-7, in other examples, permeablebody 112 comprises a plurality of separate parts. In some such examples,such a configuration facilitates the manufacturing of permeable body112. For example, with reference to the schematic and optional (dashed)examples of FIGS. 2-4, permeable body 112 having two pieces may beconstructed from a cylindrical stock of foam, whose core is removed,resulting in a hollow cylinder and a solid core. The hollow cylinder isthen assembled with non-permeable body 102, followed by insertion of atleast a portion of the solid core to span internal cavity 106 ofnon-permeable body 102 and define closed end 119 of fastener cavity 114.In other examples, such as the schematic representations of FIGS. 5-7,utilizing more than one permeable body part enables the creation ofunique and desired profiles of fastener cavity 114, such as tocorrespond in shape and size to a specific fastener assembly, as well asto optimize a thickness of permeable body 112 across regions thereof forabsorption and carrying of liquid 122.

In one or more examples, as schematically represented in FIGS. 2-7,permeable body 112 has central axis 113 and comprises firstpermeable-body part 130 and second permeable-body part 132 that is incontact with first permeable-body part 130. In some such examples, as inFIGS. 2-5 and 7, first permeable-body part 130 defines open end 118 offastener cavity 114, and second permeable-body part 132 defines closedend 119 of fastener cavity 114. Such a configuration facilitates theability to create a stepped profile of fastener cavity 114 to correspondto an outer shape of a particular fastener assembly. In other suchexamples, as in FIG. 6, second permeable-body part 132 defines bothclosed end 119 and open end 118 of fastener cavity 114. This latterexample avoids seams between the two body parts within fastener cavity114, which otherwise could affect a uniform application of liquid 122 tofastener assembly 50 such as by getting caught, or snagged, on an edgeof fastener assembly 50.

In some examples, first permeable-body part 130 at least partially lapsover second permeable-body part 132 in a direction that is parallel tocentral axis 113, such as optionally illustrated in dashed lines inFIGS. 2-4 and as illustrated in solid lines in FIGS. 5-7. Additionallyor alternatively, in some examples, as illustrated in FIGS. 5-7, firstpermeable-body part 130 at least partially laps over secondpermeable-body part 132 in a direction that is transverse to centralaxis 113. Such configurations ensure adequate contact between the twobody parts for operative wicking of liquid 122 throughout permeable body112.

In one or more examples, first permeable-body part 130 circumscribessecond permeable-body part 132 and does not lap over any portion ofsecond permeable-body part 132 when viewed along central axis 113, suchas optionally illustrated in dashed lines in FIGS. 2-4. In some suchexamples, central axis 113 intersects second permeable-body part 132 anddoes not intersect first permeable-body part 130. Such a configurationfacilitates ease of manufacturing and assembly, such as from acylindrical stock of foam as discussed above.

In one or more examples, second permeable-body part 132 laps over firstpermeable-body part 130 when viewed along central axis 113, such as inthe examples of FIGS. 5-7. Such a configuration may ensure adequatecontact between the two body parts for operative wicking of liquid 122throughout permeable body 112. In some such examples, central axis 113intersects second permeable-body part 132 and does not intersect firstpermeable-body part 130.

In one or more examples, first permeable-body part 130 laps over atleast a portion of outer surface 110 of non-permeable wall 104, lapsover all of terminal surface 116 of non-permeable wall 104, and lapsover at least a portion of inner surface 108 of non-permeable wall 104.By having first permeable-body part 130 wrap-around from outer surface110 to inner surface 108, first permeable-body part 130 is retained onnon-permeable wall 104 by the resilience of the material from whichpermeable body 112 is constructed. Moreover, by having firstpermeable-body part 130 extend along all three of outer surface 110,terminal surface 116, and inner surface 108, the integrity of permeablebody 112 is maintained when fastener assembly 50 is received within andremoved from fastener cavity 114.

With continued reference to FIGS. 2-7, fastener cavity 114 may bedescribed as having depth dimension 134, first lateral dimension 136 atopen end 118 of fastener cavity 114, and second lateral dimension 138 atclosed end 119 of fastener cavity 114. First lateral dimension 136 andsecond lateral dimension 138 are measured along an axis that isperpendicular to an axis along which depth dimension 134 is measured. Insome examples, as represented in FIGS. 3-5 and 7, first lateraldimension 136 is greater than second lateral dimension 138. Accordingly,fastener cavity 114 is shaped to correspond to fastener assembly 50whose terminal end is narrower than its base where it extends fromsubstrate 52, such as in the example of FIG. 1. In the examplesoptionally represented in FIGS. 3 and 5, in which permeable body 112comprises two permeable-body parts, first permeable-body part 130defines first lateral dimension 136 and second permeable-body part 132defines second lateral dimension 138. In other examples, such asoptionally represented in FIGS. 2, 4, and 7, first permeable-body part130 defines both first lateral dimension 136 and second lateraldimension 138.

In one or more examples, as schematically represented in FIG. 4,internal cavity 106 of non-permeable body 102 is wider proximate to openend 118 of fastener cavity 114 than proximate to closed end 119 offastener cavity 114. Accordingly, in such examples, non-permeable body102 may be shaped to correspond to the outer contours of fastenerassembly 50, taking into account a thickness of the portion of permeablebody 112 that laps over inner surface 108 of non-permeable wall 104 ofnon-permeable body 102. As a result, permeable body 112 simply conformsto the shape of internal cavity 106, resulting in fastener cavity 114that also is shaped to correspond to the outer contours of fastenerassembly 50. Accordingly, when fastener assembly 50 is received withinfastener cavity 114, inner surface 108 and fastener assembly 50collectively compress permeable body 112, resulting in application ofliquid 122 held within permeable body 112 to fastener assembly 50.

In some examples, non-permeable body 102 consists of a single part. Inother examples, as optionally represented in FIGS. 2-7, non-permeablebody 102 comprises more than one part. For example, non-permeable body102 may comprise first non-permeable-body part 140 and secondnon-permeable-body part 142 that is coupled to first non-permeable-bodypart 140, and in which first non-permeable-body part 140 comprises innersurface 108, outer surface 110, and terminal surface 116. In some suchexamples, second non-permeable-body part 142 comprises inlet 144 tointernal cavity 106 of non-permeable body 102 for receipt of liquid 122from liquid source 120. Such examples may be described as havingtwo-part non-permeable bodies and may facilitate the construction offastener-coating tools 100, such as to facilitate machining of internalcavity 106. Additionally or alternatively, such two-part non-permeablebodies may facilitate operative coupling to handle 146, such as withhandle 146 being positioned and engaged between first non-permeable-bodypart 140 and second non-permeable-body part 142. In one or moreexamples, second non-permeable-body part 142 is releasably coupled tofirst non-permeable-body part 140, such as by a threaded or otherreleasable connection.

In some examples, second non-permeable-body part 142 comprises inlet 144to internal cavity 106 of non-permeable body 102 for receipt of liquid122 from liquid source 120. In other examples, as optionally andschematically represented in FIGS. 2-7, first non-permeable-body part140 comprises inlet 144. In some examples, inlet 144 is longitudinallyaligned with internal cavity 106, while in other examples, inlet 144 istransverse to a longitudinal axis of internal cavity 106. Non-permeablebody 102 therefore may be constructed in a variety of ways to facilitatemanufacturing of the component parts, to address ergonomic factors basedon the ultimate use (e.g., location and space constraints associatedwith the ultimate application) of fastener-coating tool 100.

As schematically and optionally represented in dashed lines in FIGS.2-7, in one or more examples, fastener-coating tools 100 furthercomprise handle 146, coupled non-permeable body 102 and shaped to begrasped by a user for selective placement of fastener cavity 114 overfastener assembly 50. Various configurations of handles may be provideddepending on the ultimate use (e.g., location and space constraintsassociated with the ultimate application) of fastener-coating tool 100.In some examples, handle 146 is longitudinally aligned with fastenercavity 114, such as to permit a user to reach and coat fastener assembly50 that is extending in a direction, generally toward the user. In otherexamples, handle 146 extends transverse to fastener cavity 114, such asto permit a user to reach and coat fastener assembly 50 that isextending in a direction, generally transverse to the user. Otherconfigurations of handles 146 also may be incorporated intofastener-coating tool 100.

In some examples, handle 146 is coupled to and extends between twonon-permeable bodies, such that a user may coat two spaced-apartfastener assemblies, either simultaneously or sequentially depending onthe spacing of fastener assemblies 50. In some such examples, the twonon-permeable bodies have the same size and shape of fastener cavity,such as to facilitate coating of two similarly configured fastenerassemblies. In other examples, however, the two non-permeable bodieshave different sizes and/or shapes of fastener cavity, such as tofacilitate coating of two differently configured fastener assemblies.

With continued reference to FIGS. 2-7, and as optionally andschematically represented in dashed lines, in one or more examples offastener-coating tools 100, the transitions between inner surface 108,terminal surface 116, and outer surface 110 of non-permeable wall 104have no angles that are less than 90°. Such a configuration avoids sharpedges that may damage or otherwise prematurely wear permeable body 112.

As schematically and optionally represented in dashed lines in FIGS.2-7, in one or more examples, non-permeable wall 104 of non-permeablebody 102 defines shelf 148 that is positioned to engage permeable body112. In such examples, shelf 148 provides structure against whichpermeable body 112 is positioned. Accordingly, shelf 148 facilitatesassembly of permeable body 112 and non-permeable body 102 so thatpermeable body 112 is appropriately positioned within internal cavity106 and with sufficient length to operatively wrap around terminalsurface 116.

Turning now to FIG. 8, also within the scope of the present disclosureare kits 200 that comprise two or more of fastener-coating tools 100according to the present disclosure. In some examples, the fastenercavity of first fastener-coating tool 202 has a different size and/orshape than the fastener cavity of second fastener-coating tool 204.Accordingly, a plurality of fastener-coating tools 100 may be provided,such as at a work station of a manufacturing facility, with differentfastener-coating tools being configured to coat different configurationsof fastener assemblies 50.

Turning now to FIGS. 9-26, illustrative non-exclusive examples offastener-coating tools 100, component parts thereof, and kit 200 areillustrated. Where appropriate, the reference numerals from theschematic illustrations of FIGS. 2-8 are used to designate correspondingparts of the examples of FIGS. 9-26; however, the examples of FIGS. 9-26are non-exclusive and do not limit fastener-coating tools 100 and kits200 to the illustrated examples of FIGS. 9-26. That is, fastener-coatingtools 100 and kits 200 are not limited to the specific examples,illustrated in FIGS. 9-26, and fastener-coating tools 100 and kits 200may incorporate any number of the various aspects, configurations,characteristics, properties, etc. of fastener-coating tools 100 and kits200 that are illustrated in and discussed with reference to theschematic representations of FIGS. 2-8 and/or the more specific examplesof FIGS. 9-26, as well as variations thereof, without requiring theinclusion of all such aspects, configurations, characteristics,properties, etc. For the purpose of brevity, each previously discussedcomponent, part, portion, aspect, region, etc. or variants thereof maynot be discussed, illustrated, and/or labeled again with respect to theexamples of FIGS. 9-26; however, it is within the scope of the presentdisclosure that the previously discussed features, variants, etc. may beutilized with the provided examples.

FIG. 9 depicts an example fastener-coating tool, designated asfastener-coating tool 400, that comprises liquid source 120 in the formof manual syringe dispenser 404, having user-input mechanism 126 in theform of lever 408 and reservoir 124 in the form of syringe 410.Fastener-coating tool 400 further comprises hose 402 that interconnectssyringe 410 with non-permeable body 102. Fastener-coating tool 400comprises non-permeable body 102 having two parts, with secondnon-permeable-body part 142 defining inlet 144 that is transverse to thelongitudinal axis of the non-permeable body's internal cavity, and hosefitting 406 coupled to inlet 144. Manual syringe dispenser 404 providesfor precise application of a known volume of liquid 122 from syringe 410and ease of use by a user. Examples of suitable manual syringedispensers include those sold under the MICRO-DOT™ brand by DYMAX™Corporation. Other suitable examples of liquid sources 120 includeportable fluid dispensers sold by NORDSON™ Corporation.

FIGS. 10-12 depict an example non-permeable body, designated asnon-permeable body 500. Non-permeable body 500 comprises an integralelongate handle that is longitudinally aligned with internal cavity 106.Moreover, non-permeable body 500 is an example of non-permeable body 102whose internal cavity 106 is shaped to correspond to the shape of aparticular fastener assembly. Handle 146 of non-permeable body 500defines inlet 144 for liquid to be dispensed to internal cavity 106, andhandle 146 is shaped to be inserted into associated tubing for operativecoupling to liquid source 120.

FIGS. 13-15 depict another example of non-permeable body 102, designatedas non-permeable body 600. Non-permeable body 600 also is an example ofnon-permeable body 102 whose internal cavity 106 is shaped to correspondto the shape of a particular fastener assembly. Non-permeable body 600comprises external threads 602 for selective coupling with an upstreamcomponent of fastener-coating tool 100, such as secondnon-permeable-body part 142 or other structure configured to facilitatedelivery of liquid 122 to internal cavity 106 of non-permeable body 600.Non-permeable body 600 also is an example of non-permeable body 102,whose terminal surface 116 is chamfered such that the transitionsbetween outer surface 110, terminal surface 116, and inner surface 108have angles that are greater than 90°.

FIGS. 16-18 depict another example of non-permeable body 102, designatedas non-permeable body 700. Non-permeable body 700 also is an example ofnon-permeable body 102 whose internal cavity 106 is shaped to correspondto the shape of a particular fastener assembly. Non-permeable body 700comprises external threads 702 for selective coupling with an upstreamcomponent of fastener-coating tool 100, such as secondnon-permeable-body part 142 or other structure configured to facilitatedelivery of liquid 122 to internal cavity 106 of non-permeable body 700.Non-permeable body 700 also is an example of non-permeable body 102whose terminal surface 116 is chamfered such that the transitionsbetween outer surface 110, terminal surface 116, and inner surface 108have angles that are greater than 90°.

FIGS. 19-21 depict another example of non-permeable body 102, designatedas non-permeable body 800. Non-permeable body 800 is yet another exampleof non-permeable body 102 whose internal cavity 106 is shaped tocorrespond to the shape of a particular fastener assembly. Non-permeablebody 800 comprises external threads 802 for selective coupling with anupstream component of fastener-coating tool 100, such as secondnon-permeable-body part 142 or other structure configured to facilitatedelivery of liquid 122 to internal cavity 106 of non-permeable body 800.Non-permeable body 800 also is an example of non-permeable body 102whose terminal surface 116 is chamfered such that the transitionsbetween outer surface 110, terminal surface 116, and inner surface 108have angles that are greater than 90°.

FIGS. 22-24 depict yet another example of non-permeable body 102,designated as non-permeable body 900. Non-permeable body 900 also is anexample of non-permeable body 102 whose internal cavity 106 is shaped tocorrespond to the shape of a particular fastener assembly. Non-permeablebody 900 comprises external threads 902 for selective coupling with anupstream component of fastener-coating tool 100, such as secondnon-permeable-body part 142 or other structure configured to facilitatedelivery of liquid 122 to internal cavity 106 of non-permeable body 900.Non-permeable body 900 also is an example of non-permeable body 102whose terminal surface 116 is chamfered such that the transitionsbetween outer surface 110, terminal surface 116, and inner surface 108have angles that are greater than 90°.

FIG. 25 depicts an example fastener-coating tool, designated asfastener-coating tool 1000. Fastener-coating tool 1000 is an example offastener-coating tool 100 that comprises second non-permeable body 1002and second permeable body 1004 that is coupled to second non-permeablebody 1002, and handle 146 is coupled to and extends betweennon-permeable body 102 and second non-permeable body 1002. Morespecifically, handle 146 extends transverse to fastener cavities114,1006 of the two permeable bodies. In some examples of such afastener-coating tool, second-permeable-body fastener cavity 1006 isidentical in size and shape to fastener cavity 114 of permeable body112. In other examples of such a fastener-coating tool,second-permeable-body fastener cavity 1006 is different in size and/orshape from fastener cavity 114 of permeable body 112.

FIG. 26 depicts an example kit, designated as kit 250. Kit 250 comprisessupport plate 252 with a plurality of bores 254 configured toselectively retain and hold up to eight assemblies of non-permeablebodies and permeable bodies of different configurations. Accordingly,kit 250 may be positioned, for example, at a work station within amanufacturing environment where fastener assemblies 50 of various sizesand/or shapes need to be coated. A user of kit 250, therefore, mayselect a desired assembly from support plate 252 for use with a specificfastener assembly.

FIG. 27 schematically provides a flowchart that represents illustrative,non-exclusive examples of methods 300 according to the presentdisclosure. In FIG. 27, some steps are illustrated in dashed boxesindicating that such steps may be optional or may correspond to anoptional version of a method according to the present disclosure. Thatsaid, not all methods according to the present disclosure are requiredto include the steps illustrated in solid boxes. Moreover, stepspresented in broken lines may be important to some implementations ofmethods 300. The methods and steps illustrated in FIG. 27 are notlimiting and other methods and steps are within the scope of the presentdisclosure, including methods having greater than or fewer than thenumber of steps illustrated, as understood from the discussions herein.Although not required in all examples of methods 300, in some examples,method 300 is implemented using fastener-coating tool 100 according tothe present disclosure or kit 200, according to the present disclosure.

As schematically represented in FIG. 27 and with reference to theexample representations of fastener assembly 50 and fastener-coatingtools 100 of FIGS. 1-7, methods 300 of coating fastener assembly 50 thatextends from substrate 52 are disclosed. Methods 300 comprise steps of(block 302) at least partially saturating permeable body 112 with avolume of liquid 122, and (block 304) covering fastener assembly 50 withpermeable body 112. The step of (block 304) covering fastener assembly50 comprises steps of (block 306) at least partially compressingpermeable body 112 against fastener assembly 50, and (block 308)transferring a portion of the volume of liquid 122 from permeable body112 to exposed outer surface 54 of fastener assembly 50 and to ring 56on substrate 52 that surrounds fastener assembly 50. Accordingly,implementation of method 300 results in application of liquid 122 toexposed outer surface 54 of the fastener assembly and to ring 56 onsubstrate 52, such as may correspond to a specification in themanufacture of a product.

According to some methods 300, as optionally represented in FIG. 27, thestep of (block 306) at least partially compressing permeable body 112comprises (block 310) compressing permeable body 112 between fastenerassembly 50 and non-permeable body 102 and between substrate 52 andnon-permeable body 102. Non-permeable body 102 serves as a rigid supportfor permeable body 112, and thus when non-permeable body 102 is urgedtoward substrate 52 and over fastener assembly 50, compression ofpermeable body 112 results in liquid 122 being transferred to fastenerassembly 50 and substrate 52.

According to some methods 300, as optionally represented in FIG. 27, thestep of (block 302) at least partially saturating permeable body 112with the volume of liquid 122 comprises a step of (block 312) dispensinga predetermined volume of liquid 122 from liquid source 120. That is, aknown quantity of liquid 122 is dispensed, such as to ensure an adequatecoating of fastener assembly 50 and creation of ring 56, while alsoensuring that an excessive amount of liquid 122 is not transferred. Insome such methods 300, the optional step of (block 312) dispensing thepredetermined volume of liquid 122 from liquid source 120 comprises astep of (block 314) engaging user-input mechanism 126. That is,operative engagement of user-input mechanism 126 results in thepredetermined volume of liquid 122 being dispensed.

According to some methods 300, the step of (block 304) covering fastenerassembly 50 with the permeable body optionally comprises a step of(block 316) receiving fastener assembly 50 within fastener cavity 114 ofpermeable body 112. For example, when fastener cavity 114 is sized andshaped to have an interference fit with fastener assembly 50, receipt offastener assembly 50 within fastener cavity 114 will result incompression of permeable body 112, thereby resulting in the transfer ofliquid 122 from permeable body 112 to exposed outer surface 54 offastener assembly 50.

Examples of the present disclosure may be described in the context ofaircraft manufacturing and service method 1100 as shown in FIG. 28 andaircraft 1102 as shown in FIG. 29. During pre-production, illustrativemethod 1100 may include specification and design (block 1104) ofaircraft 1102 and material procurement (block 1106). During production,component and subassembly manufacturing (block 1108) and systemintegration (block 1110) of aircraft 1102 may take place. Thereafter,aircraft 1102 may go through certification and delivery (block 1112) tobe placed in service (block 1114). While in service, aircraft 1102 maybe scheduled for routine maintenance and service (block 1116). Routinemaintenance and service may include modification, reconfiguration,refurbishment, etc. of one or more systems of aircraft 1102.

Each of the processes of illustrative method 1100 may be performed orcarried out by a system integrator, a third party, and/or an operator(e.g., a customer). For the purposes of this description, a systemintegrator may include, without limitation, any number of aircraftmanufacturers and major-system subcontractors; a third party mayinclude, without limitation, any number of vendors, subcontractors, andsuppliers; and an operator may be an airline, leasing company, militaryentity, service organization, and so on.

As shown in FIG. 29, aircraft 1102 produced by illustrative method 1100may include airframe 1118 with a plurality of high-level systems 1120and interior 1122. Examples of high-level systems 1120 include one ormore of propulsion system 1124, electrical system 1126, hydraulic system1128, and environmental system 1130. Any number of other systems may beincluded. Although an aerospace example is shown, the principlesdisclosed herein may be applied to other industries, such as theautomotive industry. Accordingly, in addition to aircraft 1102, theprinciples disclosed herein may apply to other vehicles, e.g., landvehicles, marine vehicles, space vehicles, etc.

Apparatus(es) and method(s) shown or described herein may be employedduring any one or more of the stages of the manufacturing and servicemethod 1100. For example, components or subassemblies corresponding tocomponent and subassembly manufacturing (block 1108) may be fabricatedor manufactured in a manner similar to components or subassembliesproduced while aircraft 1102 is in service (block 1114). Also, one ormore examples of the apparatus(es), method(s), or combination thereofmay be utilized during production stages 1108 and 1110, for example, bysubstantially expediting assembly of or reducing the cost of aircraft1102. Similarly, one or more examples of the apparatus or methodrealizations, or a combination thereof, may be utilized, for example andwithout limitation, while aircraft 1102 is in service (block 1114)and/or during maintenance and service (block 1116).

Illustrative, non-exclusive examples of inventive subject matteraccording to the present disclosure are described in the followingenumerated paragraphs:

A1. A fastener-coating tool (100), comprising:

a non-permeable body (102) that comprises a non-permeable wall (104),having a closed shape and comprising:

-   -   an inner surface (108) that defines an internal cavity (106) of        the non-permeable body (102);    -   an outer surface (110) that faces away from the internal cavity        (106) of the non-permeable body (102); and    -   a terminal surface (116), having a closed shape and        interconnecting the inner surface (108) and the outer surface        (110) of the non-permeable wall (104); and

a permeable body (112) that:

-   -   laps over at least a portion of the outer surface (110) of the        non-permeable wall (104);    -   laps over all of the terminal surface (116) of the non-permeable        wall (104);    -   laps over at least a portion of the inner surface (108) of the        non-permeable wall (104);    -   spans the internal cavity (106) of the non-permeable body (102);        and    -   defines a fastener cavity (114) that extends at least partially        within the internal cavity (106) of the non-permeable body (102)        and that is sized and shaped to receive a portion of a fastener        assembly (50) to be coated, and wherein the fastener cavity        (114) has an open end (118), proximate to the terminal surface        (116) of the non-permeable wall (104), and a closed end (119)        within the internal cavity (106) of the non-permeable body (102)        and opposite the open end (118).

A2. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A1, whereinall portions of the permeable body (112) are fluidically permeable.

A3. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A1 or A2,further comprising a liquid source (120), configured to deliver a liquid(122) to the internal cavity (106) of the non-permeable body (102).

A4. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A3, whereinthe liquid source (120) comprises a reservoir (124), configured to holda volume of the liquid (122).

A5. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A4, furthercomprising the volume of the liquid (122), and wherein the volume of theliquid (122) is held in the reservoir (124).

A6. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to any one of paragraphsA3 to A5, wherein the liquid (122) comprises at least one of a primer, apaint, or a liquid that has a viscosity of less than 100 centistokes.

A7. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to any one of A3 to A6,wherein the liquid source (120) comprises a user-input mechanism (126),configured to selectively dispense a predetermined volume of the liquid(122) from the liquid source (120) to the internal cavity (106) of thenon-permeable body (102).

A8. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to any one of paragraphsA3 to A7, wherein:

the non-permeable body (102) comprises a first non-permeable-body part(140) and a second non-permeable-body part (142), coupled to the firstnon-permeable-body part (140);

the first non-permeable-body part (140) comprises the inner surface(108), the outer surface (110), and the terminal surface (116); and

the second non-permeable-body part (142) comprises an inlet (144) to theinternal cavity (106) of the non-permeable body (102) for receipt of theliquid (122) from the liquid source (120).

A9. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A8, whereinthe second non-permeable-body part (142) is releasably coupled to thefirst non-permeable-body part (140).

A10. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to any one of paragraphsA1 to A9, wherein the permeable body (112) is composed of a reticulatedfoam material (128).

A11. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A10, whereinthe reticulated foam material (128) has 50-100 pores per inch (127-254pores per centimeter).

A12. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to any one of paragraphsA1 to A11, wherein the permeable body (112) consists of a single part.

A13. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to any one of paragraphsA1 to A11, wherein the permeable body (112) comprises a plurality ofseparate parts.

A14. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to any one of paragraphsA1 to A11, wherein:

the permeable body (112) has a central axis (113);

the permeable body (112) comprises a first permeable-body part (130) anda second permeable-body part (132), in contact with the firstpermeable-body part (130);

the first permeable-body part (130) defines the open end (118) of thefastener cavity (114); and

the second permeable-body part (132) defines the closed end (119) of thefastener cavity (114).

A15. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A14, whereinthe first permeable-body part (130) at least partially laps over thesecond permeable-body part (132) in a direction parallel to the centralaxis (113).

A16. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A14 or A15,wherein the first permeable-body part (130) at least partially laps overthe second permeable-body part (132) in a direction transverse to thecentral axis (113).

A17. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A14 or A15,wherein the first permeable-body part (130) circumscribes the secondpermeable-body part (132) and does not lap over any portion of thesecond permeable-body part (132) when viewed along the central axis(113).

A18. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A17, whereinthe central axis (113) intersects the second permeable-body part (132)and does not intersect the first permeable-body part (130).

A19. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A14 or A15,wherein the second permeable-body part (132) laps over the firstpermeable-body part (130) when viewed along the central axis (113).

A20. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A19, whereinthe central axis (113) intersects the second permeable-body part (132)and does not intersect the first permeable-body part (130).

A21. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to any one of paragraphsA14 to A20, wherein:

the first permeable-body part (130) laps over at least a portion of theouter surface (110) of the non-permeable wall (104) of the non-permeablebody (102);

the first permeable-body part (130) laps over all of the terminalsurface (116) of the non-permeable wall (104) of the non-permeable body(102); and

the first permeable-body part (130) laps over at least a portion of theinner surface (108) of the non-permeable wall (104) of the non-permeablebody (102).

A22. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to any one of paragraphsA1 to A21, wherein:

the fastener cavity (114) of the permeable body (112) has a depthdimension (134), a first lateral dimension (136) at the open end (118)of the fastener cavity (114), and a second lateral dimension (138) atthe closed end (119) of the fastener cavity (114);

the first lateral dimension (136) is measured along an axis,perpendicular to an axis along which the depth dimension (134) ismeasured;

the second lateral dimension (138) is measured along an axis,perpendicular to the axis along which the depth dimension (134) ismeasured; and

the first lateral dimension (136) is greater than the second lateraldimension (138).

A23. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A22,wherein:

the permeable body (112) comprises a/the first permeable-body part (130)and a/the second permeable-body part (132), in contact with the firstpermeable-body part (130);

the first permeable-body part (130) defines the open end (118) of thefastener cavity (114);

the second permeable-body part (132) defines the closed end (119) of thefastener cavity (114); and

the first permeable-body part (130) defines the first lateral dimension(136) and the second permeable-body part (132) defines the secondlateral dimension (138).

A24. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A22,wherein:

the permeable body (112) comprises a first permeable-body part (130) anda second permeable-body part (132), in contact with the firstpermeable-body part (130);

the first permeable-body part (130) defines the open end (118) of thefastener cavity (114);

the second permeable-body part (132) defines the closed end (119) of thefastener cavity (114); and

the first permeable-body part (130) defines the first lateral dimension(136) and the second lateral dimension (138).

A25. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to any one of paragraphsA1 to A24, wherein the internal cavity (106) of the non-permeable body(102) is wider proximate to the open end (118) of the fastener cavity(114) than proximate to the closed end (119) of the fastener cavity(114).

A26. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to any one of paragraphsA1 to A25, wherein the non-permeable body (102) consists of a singlepart.

A27. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to any one of paragraphsA1 to A25, wherein the non-permeable body (102) comprises more than onepart.

A28. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to any one of paragraphsA1 to A27, further comprising a handle (146), coupled to thenon-permeable body (102) and shaped to be grasped by a user forselective placement of the fastener cavity (114) over the fastenerassembly (50).

A29. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A28,wherein:

the fastener-coating tool (100) further comprises a second non-permeablebody (1002) and a second permeable body (1004), coupled to the secondnon-permeable body (1002); and

the handle (146) is coupled to the non-permeable body (102) and thesecond non-permeable body (1002) and extends between the non-permeablebody (102) and the second non-permeable body (1002).

A30. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A29, whereinthe second permeable body (1004) defines a second-permeable-bodyfastener cavity (1006) that is sized and shaped to receive either theportion of the fastener assembly (50) to be coated or a portion of adifferent fastener assembly to be coated.

A31. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A30, whereinthe second-permeable-body fastener cavity (1006) is identical in sizeand shape to the fastener cavity (114) of the permeable body (112).

A32. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to paragraph A30, whereinthe second-permeable-body fastener cavity (1006) is different in sizeand/or shape from the fastener cavity (114) of the permeable body (112).

A33. The fastener-coating tool (100) according to any one of paragraphsA1 to A32, configured to perform the method (300) according to any oneof paragraphs C1 to C12.

B1. A kit (200), comprising:

two or more fastener-coating tools (100) according to any one ofparagraphs A1 to A33.

B2. The kit (200) according to paragraph B1, wherein the fastener cavity(114) of one of the two or more fastener-coating tools (100) has adifferent size or shape than the fastener cavity (114) of another one ofthe two or more fastener-coating tools (100).

C1. A method (300) of coating a fastener assembly (50) that extends froma substrate (52), the method (300) comprising steps of:

at least partially saturating a permeable body (112) with a volume of aliquid (122); and

covering the fastener assembly (50) with the permeable body (112),wherein the step of covering the fastener assembly (50) comprises stepsof:

-   -   at least partially compressing the permeable body (112) against        the fastener assembly (50); and    -   transferring a portion of the volume of the liquid (122) from        the permeable body (112) to an exposed outer surface (54) of the        fastener assembly (50) and to a ring (56) on the substrate (52),        surrounding the fastener assembly (50).

C2. The method (300) according to paragraph C1, wherein the step of atleast partially compressing the permeable body (112) comprisescompressing the permeable body (112) between the fastener assembly (50)and a non-permeable body (102) and between the substrate (52) and thenon-permeable body (102).

C3. The method (300) according to paragraph C1 or C2, wherein the liquid(122) comprises at least one of a primer, a paint, or a liquid that hasa viscosity of less than 100 centistokes.

C4. The method (300) according to any one of paragraphs C1 to C3,wherein the step of at least partially saturating the permeable body(112) with the volume of the liquid (122) comprises a step of dispensinga predetermined volume of the liquid (122) from a liquid source (120).

C5. The method (300) according to paragraph C4, wherein the step ofdispensing the predetermined volume of the liquid (122) from the liquidsource (120) comprises a step of engaging a user-input mechanism (126).

C6. The method (300) according to any one of paragraphs C1 to C5,wherein the permeable body (112) is composed of a reticulated foammaterial (128).

C7. The method (300) according to paragraph C6, wherein the reticulatedfoam material (128) has 50-100 pores per inch (127-254 pores percentimeter).

C8. The method (300) according to any one of paragraphs C1 to C7,wherein the permeable body (112) consists of a single part.

C9. The method (300) according to any one of paragraphs C1 to C7,wherein the permeable body (112) comprises a plurality of separateparts.

C10. The method (300) according to any one of paragraphs C1 to C9,wherein the step of covering the fastener assembly (50) with thepermeable body comprises a step of receiving the fastener assembly (50)within a fastener cavity (114) of the permeable body (112).

C11. The method (300) according to paragraph C10, wherein the fastenercavity (114) is sized and shaped to have an interference fit with thefastener assembly (50).

C12. The method (300) according to any one of paragraphs C1 to C11,implemented using the fastener-coating tool (100) according to any oneof paragraphs A1 to A33 or the kit (200) according to paragraph B1 orB2.

D1. The use of the fastener-coating tool (100) according to any one ofparagraphs A1-A33 or the kit (200) according to paragraph B1 or B2 tocoat with a/the liquid (122) a fastener assembly (50) and a ring (56) ona substrate (52), surrounding the fastener assembly (50).

As used herein, the terms “adapted” and “configured” mean that theelement, component, or other subject matter is designed and/or intendedto perform a given function. Thus, the use of the terms “adapted” and“configured” should not be construed to mean that a given element,component, or other subject matter is simply “capable of” performing agiven function but that the element, component, and/or other subjectmatter is specifically selected, created, implemented, utilized,programmed, and/or designed for the purpose of performing the function.It is also within the scope of the present disclosure that elements,components, and/or other recited subject matter that is recited as beingadapted to perform a particular function may additionally oralternatively be described as being configured to perform that function,and vice versa. Similarly, subject matter that is recited as beingconfigured to perform a particular function may additionally oralternatively be described as being operative to perform that function.

As used herein, the term “and/or” placed between a first entity and asecond entity means one of (1) the first entity, (2) the second entity,and (3) the first entity and the second entity. Multiple entries listedwith “and/or” should be construed in the same manner, i.e., “one ormore” of the entities so conjoined. Other entities optionally may bepresent other than the entities specifically identified by the “and/or”clause, whether related or unrelated to those entities specificallyidentified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/orB,” when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as“comprising,” may refer, in one example, to A only (optionally includingentities other than B); in another example, to B only (optionallyincluding entities other than A); in yet another example, to both A andB (optionally including other entities). These entities may refer toelements, actions, structures, steps, operations, values, and the like.

Different examples of the apparatus(es) and method(s) disclosed hereininclude a variety of components, features, and functionalities. Itshould be understood that the various examples of the apparatus(es) andmethod(s) disclosed herein may include any of the components, features,and functionalities of any of the other examples of the apparatus(es)and method(s) disclosed herein in any combination, and all of suchpossibilities are intended to be within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

Many modifications of examples set forth herein will come to mind to oneskilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains having thebenefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and theassociated drawings.

Therefore, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not tobe limited to the specific examples illustrated and that modificationsand other examples are intended to be included within the scope of theappended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing description and theassociated drawings describe examples of the present disclosure in thecontext of certain illustrative combinations of elements and/orfunctions, it should be appreciated that different combinations ofelements and/or functions may be provided by alternative implementationswithout departing from the scope of the appended claims. Accordingly,parenthetical reference numerals in the appended claims are presentedfor illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scopeof the claimed subject matter to the specific examples provided in thepresent disclosure.

1. A method (300) of coating a fastener assembly (50) that extends froma substrate (52), the method (300) comprising steps of: at leastpartially saturating a permeable body (112) with a volume of a liquid(122); and covering the fastener assembly (50) with the permeable body(112), wherein the step of covering the fastener assembly (50) comprisessteps of: at least partially compressing the permeable body (112)against the fastener assembly (50); and transferring a portion of thevolume of the liquid (122) from the permeable body (112) to an exposedouter surface (54) of the fastener assembly (50) and to a ring (56) onthe substrate (52), surrounding the fastener assembly (50).
 2. Themethod (300) according to claim 1, wherein the step of at leastpartially compressing the permeable body (112) comprises compressing thepermeable body (112) between the fastener assembly (50) and anon-permeable body (102) and between the substrate (52) and thenon-permeable body (102).
 3. The method (300) according to claim 1,wherein the liquid (122) comprises at least one of a primer, a paint, ora liquid that has a viscosity of less than 100 centistokes.
 4. Themethod (300) according to claim 1, wherein the step of at leastpartially saturating the permeable body (112) with the volume of theliquid (122) comprises a step of dispensing a predetermined volume ofthe liquid (122) from a liquid source (120).
 5. The method (300)according to claim 4, wherein the step of dispensing the predeterminedvolume of the liquid (122) from the liquid source (120) comprises a stepof engaging a user-input mechanism (126).
 6. The method (300) accordingto claim 1, wherein the permeable body (112) is composed of areticulated foam material (128).
 7. The method (300) according to claim6, wherein the reticulated foam material (128) has 50-100 pores perinch.
 8. The method (300) according to claim 1, wherein the permeablebody (112) consists of a single part.
 9. The method (300) according toclaim 1, wherein the permeable body (112) comprises a plurality ofseparate parts.
 10. The method (300) according to claim 1, wherein thestep of covering the fastener assembly (50) with the permeable bodycomprises a step of receiving the fastener assembly (50) within afastener cavity (114) of the permeable body (112).
 11. The method (300)according to claim 10, wherein the fastener cavity (114) is sized andshaped to have an interference fit with the fastener assembly (50). 12.The method (300) according to claim 10, wherein: the fastener cavity(114) has an open end (118) and a closed end (119); the fastener cavity(114) has a depth dimension, a first lateral dimension at the open end(118) of the fastener cavity, and a second lateral dimension at theclosed end (119) of the fastener cavity; the first lateral dimension ismeasured along an axis, perpendicular to an axis along which the depthdimension is measured; the second lateral dimension is measured along anaxis, perpendicular to the axis along which the depth dimension ismeasured; and the first lateral dimension is greater than the secondlateral dimension.
 13. The method (300) according to claim 10, wherein:the fastener cavity (114) has an open end (118) and a closed end (119);the permeable body (112) comprises a first permeable-body part (130) anda second permeable-body part (132), in contact with the firstpermeable-body part (130); the first permeable-body part (130) definesthe open end (118) of the fastener cavity (114); and the secondpermeable-body part (132) defines the closed end (119) of the fastenercavity (114).
 14. The method (300) according to claim 13, wherein: thestep of at least partially compressing the permeable body (112)comprises compressing the permeable body (112) between the fastenerassembly (50) and a non-permeable body (102) and between the substrate(52) and the non-permeable body (102); the first permeable-body part(130) laps over at least a portion of an outer surface (110) of anon-permeable wall (104) of the non-permeable body (102); the firstpermeable-body part (130) laps over all of a terminal surface (116) ofthe non-permeable wall (104) of the non-permeable body (102); and thefirst permeable-body part (130) laps over at least a portion of an innersurface (108) of the non-permeable wall (104) of the non-permeable body(102).
 15. The method (300) according to claim 13, wherein: thepermeable body (112) has a central axis (113); and the firstpermeable-body part (130) at least partially laps over the secondpermeable-body part (132) in a direction parallel to the central axis(113).
 16. The method (300) according to claim 13, wherein: thepermeable body (112) has a central axis (113); and the firstpermeable-body part (130) at least partially laps over the secondpermeable-body part (132) in a direction transverse to the central axis(113).
 17. The method (300) according to claim 13, wherein: thepermeable body (112) has a central axis (113); and the firstpermeable-body part (130) circumscribes the second permeable-body part(132) and does not lap over any portion of the second permeable-bodypart (132) when viewed along the central axis (113).
 18. The method(300) according to claim 17, wherein: the permeable body (112) has acentral axis (113); and the central axis (113) intersects the secondpermeable-body part (132) and does not intersect the firstpermeable-body part (130).
 19. The method (300) according to claim 13,wherein: the permeable body (112) has a central axis (113); and thesecond permeable-body part (132) laps over the first permeable-body part(130) when viewed along the central axis (113).
 20. A method (300) ofcoating a first fastener assembly (50) that extends from a substrate(52) and a second fastener assembly (50) that extends from thesubstrate, the method (300) comprising steps of: grasping a handle (146)extending between a first non-permeable body (102) and a secondnon-permeable body (102); at least partially saturating a firstpermeable body (112), coupled to the first non-permeable body (102),with a first volume of a liquid (122); covering the first fastenerassembly (50) with the first permeable body (112), wherein the step ofcovering the first fastener assembly (50) comprises steps of: at leastpartially compressing the first permeable body (112) between the firstnon-permeable body (102) and the first fastener assembly (50); andtransferring a portion of the first volume of the liquid (122) from thefirst permeable body (112) to an exposed outer surface (54) of the firstfastener assembly (50) and to a first ring (56) on the substrate (52),surrounding the first fastener assembly (50); at least partiallysaturating a second permeable body (1004), coupled to the secondnon-permeable body (102), with a second volume of the liquid (122); andcovering the second fastener assembly (50) with the second permeablebody (1004), wherein the step of covering the second fastener assembly(50) comprises steps of: at least partially compressing the secondpermeable body (1004) between the second non-permeable body (102) andthe second fastener assembly (50); and transferring a portion of thesecond volume of the liquid (122) from the second permeable body (1004)to an exposed outer surface (54) of the second fastener assembly (50)and to a second ring (56) on the substrate (52), surrounding the secondfastener assembly (50).